Should we breathe easy over the state of our kids’ air?

AS CONCERNS AROUND DIRTY AIR CONTINUE TO GROW, LISA SALMON FINDS OUT MORE

PARENTS instinctively want to protect their children – but how can you protect them from breathing dirty air? Many UK cities repeatedly breach legal air pollution limits, and it’s estimated that 29,000 premature deaths a year are caused by poor air quality in this country.

How does air pollution affect children?

Because their lungs are still developing, and they tend to breathe faster than adults, children are among the most vulnerable to the health damage associated with air pollution.

In fact, a recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report said one in four deaths among children aged under five are due to environmental hazards, such as air pollution and contaminated water.

The WHO describes air pollution as a ‘major environment-related health threat to children and a risk factor for both acute and chronic respiratory disease’, pointing out that when infants and pre-schoolers are exposed to air pollution and second-hand smoke, they have an increased risk of pneumonia in childhood, and a lifelong increased risk of chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma.

Prolonged exposure to air pollution in childhood is also linked with repeated infections, coughs and wheezing, and there’s evidence to suggest that it may increase lifelong risk of heart disease, stroke and certain cancers.

Air pollution can even affect babies before birth – a 2013 European study found exposure to common air pollutants and traffic pollution during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of low birthweight in newborns.

DANGEROUS EXPOSURE

BUGGIES and prams can put children level with car exhaust emissions, and the Poisoned Playgrounds study released by ClientEarth found more than 950 UK schools are next to, or near, roads with harmful levels of air pollution.

Studies also suggest living near busy roads could be responsible for 15-30% of all new cases of asthma in children.

HELP BRITAIN BREATHE CAMPAIGN

THE Healthy Air Campaign (HAC) has launched the Help Britain Breathe initiative to help raise awareness of UK air pollution, and Andrea Lee of HAC says: “People living in UK towns and cities are unaware of how they and their families are affected by the dirty air they breathe every day. That’s extremely worrying. Our children deserve better at every stage of their life.”

WHAT CAUSES AIR POLLUTION?

POLLUTION from road traffic, and particularly diesel fumes, is a major cause of poor air quality, and Help Britian Breathe says it can be responsible for up to 70% of air pollution.

Other sources of pollution include industry and machinery,